Principal Wiebers

Reading Recovery Salutes Outstanding Principals

Jon R. Wiebers, principal
Spirit Lake Community School
Spirit Lake, IA

“In recent years, students have achieved about an 80 to 90% proficiency level on the fourth-grade literacy section of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills,” says Principal Jon Wiebers of his 500-student K–4 elementary school located in the Iowa Great Lakes Region.

“Total Building Buy-In”
After nine years of using Reading Recovery as its early literacy intervention, Spirit Lake Community School now has “total building buy-in” to balanced literacy and the importance of early intervention. The school has three active Reading Recovery teachers and Principal Wiebers says he would like to also have all first- and second-grade teachers trained in Reading Recovery.

With 41 teachers and 28 support staff at the school, Wiebers says, “We could use our FTEs differently, but we know this brings greater success for students.”

Rotating Reading Recovery Teachers Back Into the Classroom
Like many principals, Wiebers continues to train Reading Recovery teachers—rotating trained teachers back into classroom teaching or Title I teaching after they have served in Reading Recovery. Presently, two of his first-grade teachers have been trained.

“Reading Recovery is our way of intervening early and allowing our lowest first graders to succeed. I often say that Reading Recovery keeps on giving year after year. About 75 to 85% reach grade level and most continue to succeed in later grades,” Wiebers said.